Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-24
DIR. CURRY.
The Popularity of tho American
Minister 90 spain.


Minister 90 Spain.
ALisbon correspondent of the Aneri-
can Registcr writes 10 that paper
II was too i'll to write lately | was
well enough TO read and TO enjoy par
ticularly the letter OF your Naples cor
responder, of February 10Th, with its
special reference 10 our Minister in
Spain, DIR. Curry. / daily look over
FIVE or six Spanish newspapers at the
Mercantile Association reading-rooms,
to which Sefior Eduardo Pinto Basto.
the enterprising and public-spirited
leading shipping merchant of Portugal,
had kindly introduced me. Mr.. Pinto
Basto'slifelong friend, DonSigismundo
Moret, the Spanish Minister of State,
bad warmly recommended me to him
and his family, and he proves to me on
all possible occasions how highly he APP
preciates his Spanish friend. Thus /
have access to Spanish papers which
would otherwise be out of my reach or
very expensive to get at, and thus
again have the satisfaction of weekly
reading Mr.. Curry's praises in papers
of all political shades. L remember
when the papers first announced his
appointment there was some uneasy feel
ing expressed; some of his predeces-
sors had not managed to make them
selves any too agreeable in Madrid, and
as some Catholic papers at home depre-
Gated the idea of a Protestant clergy
mans being sent to n Catholic court,
serious misgivings were entertained.
AS soon as he arrived here he called
on my good friend the former Secre-
tary of Legation and now Director
General for Spain of the New York
Life Insurance Company, Mr. Reed,
from whom he got many valuable
hint as to matters Spanish. Next he
had the good fortune to meet in the
chief Of the Foreign Office, Senior Mo-
ret, a gentleman whose eminent quail
ties have never been surpassed. il
eQualled, by any other Spanish Minister
OF State-a heightened gentleman, whose
linguistic accomplishments alone are of
incalculable advantage, knowing as he
does oil the languages of Europe except
Russian, while his administrative talents
have been shown by his management
of the Spanish-Portuguese railway,
mining, and other enterprises. He was,
and is, professor of the University
and, of course, he is a Liberal, q large
minded man, who has the real, practical
good of his country at heart, unas-
suming, without any title, though he
hasmany times been a Cabinet Minister,
and though he belongs to an illustrious
family. Such man as Mr. Moret was
Just the one to recognize and admire q
kindred spirit in our DR.. Curry.
While officially Dr. Curry's relations
with the Spanish Government are the
most cordial, his social position is the
pleasaStest of all the diplomats in
Madrid Never since the days of Mr..
Gushing, who was highly respected by
all, las any American representative so
completely won the admiration OF all
classes of Spanish society rs the once
so-much-dreaded "parsOn." That his
social relations are, however, Just what
they are is due to him and his
wife. Both, from the
displayed the rarest
of all social virtues - tact and
combined with it taste and anna
bility, thereby securing admiration for
themselves and their country. They
with true southern hospitality.
All eminent in craftsmanship, diplo-
macy, eruditon, art, literature, throng
around our Minister in Madrid, crowd
his receptions, feel honored at being
invited to his table, and respect coun-
try which boasts such representative.
! still remember the faces of two
Cabinet Ministers, who had attended
a certain diplomatic dinner,
few years ago, in Madrid. [
asked them how they had enjoyed
their dinner Il was a little an fuH as
to the interior arrangements of that
dinner. "My dear Madam, "they
"we just come from For
nos !" FOrnos is a restaurant. And /
know also that the Nuncio-well, for
once, he was Protestant. Since Mr..
Curry is in Madrid. the Nuncio, Mon.
signOr Rampolla, never misses an en-
of any kind at the Ameri-
can Legation, and seems to enjoy hiln-
self famously. AS a Conservative (Op-
positionl paper, from which l copy,
puts it, "he looks complacently at the
young people, or is engaged in close
with his erudite host